(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier will miss the their festive fixtures after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

Dier, who was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona, missed Spurs’ 1-0 league victory over Burnley on Saturday, with what was initially described as a “virus” by manager Mauricio Pochettino.

“The England international midfielder was diagnosed with appendicitis after contacting our medical staff due to acute Abdominal pain,” Spurs said in a statement.

“He received immediate treatment to assess and then remove the appendix. He will now undergo a period of recovery before commencing rehabilitation and it is expected he will return to training with the squad in January.”

That rules out Dier from Wednesday’s League Cup clash against local rivals Arsenal, along with league games against Everton, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the last week of December.

Dier has scored two goals in 13 league appearances this season for Spurs, who are third in the standings.